Since the beginning of the hot season, in the northern provinces, the electricity sector has started rotating power cuts to reduce the load. Factories and industrial parks are “sweating” facing the risk of major losses and disruption of the production chain.
Sudden power outage, businesses complain
According to VietNamNet's investigation, on May 18, Hai Phong Electricity Company sent text messages to several industrial parks in the city to announce that it would cut off power from 12:30 to 16:00.
It would not be a big deal if this message was sent early enough for businesses to plan and adjust production. However, according to businesses, this message was only sent about an hour before the power outage, putting them in a passive position.
A day later, Hai Phong Electricity sent an official notice.
Faced with this situation, on May 30, a series of foreign enterprises in VSIP Hai Phong Industrial Park petitioned the Northern Power Corporation and the Department of Industry and Trade of Hai Phong City about the sudden power outage that caused them losses.
The document said: "The power outage on May 18 seriously affected production and business activities and caused economic losses to enterprises."
Businesses cite two reasons for asking the electricity industry to reconsider its responsibilities.
Specifically , the power outage announcement was too urgent, not enough time for customers to adjust their production plans. The power outage and re-connection time was not close to reality, 40 to 50 minutes later than the expected announcement.
Therefore, these 15 enterprises together requested the relevant authorities to investigate the cause and take timely remedial measures to avoid similar incidents in the future. In case of necessary load shedding, the electricity sector must develop a realistic plan and notify customers 24 hours in advance as prescribed.
Businesses in this locality also requested the electricity industry to increase warranty and maintenance of the power system on holidays, festivals, etc. to ensure safe operation.
In response to the business's request, the Department of Industry and Trade of Hai Phong City requested the City Power Company Limited to report and clearly respond to the power incident on May 18.
In a document sent to businesses in VSIP Industrial Park, Hai Phong Electricity hopes that the 15 businesses that suffered losses due to the sudden power outage on May 18 will share and sympathize. The reason is because "the severe heat wave has lasted for a long time over a large area, the demand for electricity consumption has increased very high. Many power lines and transformer stations have to operate at full load, overloaded during peak hours, leading to a number of incidents on the power grid...".
Businesses are worried about power cuts.
In a notice about the rotating power outage schedule sent to customers, Hai Phong Electricity Company Limited said that production schedules in industrial parks and factories are being given special priority. If forced to cut off power, it will also regulate to the maximum to limit damage to production.
However, many businesses in Hai Phong are still worried, because this holdout is only temporary. They fear that power outages at factories will be inevitable.
Speaking with VietNamNet reporter, Mr. Tran Van Thang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sao Do Group (Hai Phong), said: Although his company and Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park have not yet faced power outages, he cannot help but worry that this situation will be difficult to maintain for long.
“The Hai Phong electricity industry is calculating to provide reasonable electricity to factories, with priority number 1. But if there is a power outage, it will be very dangerous. Business owners are worried that when it is their turn to have their power cut off, it will have a big impact, because then they will not be able to continue production, in addition to affecting workers, they will have delayed orders, be fined by partners or lose customers," said Mr. Thang.
In particular, according to him, with a specific industry such as metallurgy in the field of smelting aluminum ingots, steel or ore, when there is a power outage, even for just 1 hour, the furnace will shut down. To restart the furnace, businesses have to spend hundreds of billions of dong.
Mr. Pham Hong Diep, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Cau Kien Ecological Industrial Park, also informed that the factories in his industrial park are in a state of anxiety. That is because his industrial park is mainly home to foreign enterprises, and if the power is cut off, it will cause great damage to their international production chain.
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